Japan's New Hypersonic Engine Could Make 2-Hour Flights to the US a Reality
Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) has made significant progress in developing a hypersonic engine that could enable two-hour flights from Tokyo to Los Angeles. Recent ground tests of a Mach-5 ramjet engine have validated key performance aspects under extreme conditions. If successful, this technology could revolutionize international travel by drastically reducing flight times.
- ▪JAXA conducted successful ground combustion trials of a Mach-5 hypersonic engine.
- ▪The tests focused on validating heat-shielding and engine performance at extreme conditions.
- ▪The goal is to achieve commercial hypersonic passenger service by the 2040s.
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Science Japan's New Hypersonic Engine Could Make 2-Hour Flights To The US A Reality By Alan Bradley May 20, 2026 5:41 pm EST Oasis2me/Getty Images At first blush, it sounds like science fiction: supersonic jets able to traverse the vastness of the Pacific Ocean in under two hours. But recent tests by Japan's Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) in conjunction with several Japanese universities have brought that once seemingly impossible vision closer to reality (alongside similar Mach-5 testing in the U.S.).
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